Here are six things that you should keep in a fire resistant safe.
1. Insurance Policies
If you have a fire in your home, you’ll need to have access to your homeowner’s policy and the contact information for your agent. You might have this information stored in your phone, which could be destroyed in a fire. Storing it in your bank safe deposit box isn’t going to do you any good if the bank is closed. Once you’re able to re-enter your home after a fire, you can immediately get your policy out of your fire resistant safe.
2. Government-Issued Identification
It’s a good idea to keep your family’s original birth certificates and passports in a fireproof safe. These government-issued documents are a hassle to replace. If your driver’s licenses are lost in the fire, you will need to provide these documents to prove your identity before they can be replaced.
3. Wills and Powers of Attorney
The attorney who created your last will and testament, living will, health care proxies, or power of attorney for you and/or your spouse will have a copy of these documents. However, if a health emergency occurs, and these documents are needed to convey you or your family’s wishes for medical treatment, there might not be time to wait to get them from your attorney. Keeping these important documents in your fire resistant home safe ensures that you or your family have them close at hand if needed.
4. Irreplaceable Mementos
If you have kids, you know how many special little gifts they have made and given to you over the years. That little paperweight or Christmas ornament might not have a monetary value, but it has sentimental value. Your safe can protect personal mementos that you would never be able to replace.
5. Family Photos
You might have old family photos that have been passed down through generations or photos of your family that you don’t ever want to lose. You can protect these items and preserve your family memories by storing them in a fire resistant safe.
6. Investments and Debt Information
After a fire, you may need to tap into your savings accounts or investments for emergency money. Meanwhile, your bills and loans still need to be paid, even if you’re displaced because of the fire. In the chaos after the fire, you don’t want to risk forgetting about payments and hurting your credit.
Hopefully you will never experience a home fire. But if you do, a fire resistant safe can help protect the items you’ll need to help pick up the pieces.